


Robin

by redd093



Category: No Fandom
Genre: Drama, F/M, Literature, One-Acts, Scripts & Screenplays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-14
Updated: 2014-04-14
Packaged: 2018-01-19 09:35:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1464478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redd093/pseuds/redd093





	Robin

(Light's up on S.R. Half of the stage. A city. Sky scrapers, hotel lights,  
and the full moon high in the sky. Sirens and a police scanner is heard. "City Police. Shots heard at North Hospital. One  female, late teens to early twenties, D.O.A. Suspect has been apprehended." Sounds of sirens fade as lights fade to black. Lights up on S.L. Half of the stage. A white room. A one way mirror on the back wall. A metal table with two metal chairs at the center of the room. OLIVER sits in a chair with back facing the city. OLIVER is tall with dark hair and scars on his face. He appears to be around twenty. He is wearing an orange jump suit, and handcuffs on his wrists. DETECTIVE MURPHY enters, S.L., carrying a thick manila folder. MURPHY is wearing a standard police uniform. He is tall and wide; muscular. MURPHY drops the folder onto the table and lets himself fall into the chair opposite of OLIVER. OLIVER stares at the folder blankly, seems to not notice MURPHY. MURPHY opens the folder and picks up a few pages of paper, holding them in front of his face reading them.)

MURPHY  
Breaking and entering. Shop lifting. Purse and wallet theft. Assault. Running away from home. Selling drugs.  
(Lowers paper and looks at OLIVER.)  
When I look at these reports, I don't see a murderer. I see a scared, messed up kid, trying to make sense of the world. But even scared, messed up kids won't kill people. So why did you?

(OLIVER shows no signs of noticing MURPHY.)

MURPHY  
(Slams his fist on the table. OLIVER jumps, startled.)  
Hey! I'm talking to you! 

OLIVER  
(Blinks a few times and finally notices MURPHY.)  
Wh-what?  
(Groans and rubs his head.)  
Sorry, I didn't hear you. 

MURPHY  
(Huffs and stand up.)  
Fine. You don't wanna talk to me? I'll just let you talk to the Doc, when he get's here. 

(MURPHY places the papers back into the folder, picks it up and exists S.L., leaving OLIVER alone. OLIVER sighs heavily and places his head on the table, with his arms as a cushion. Lights fade on S.L. Spotlight on OLIVER. Lights up on S.R. YOUNG OLIVER enters S.R. He is much younger than his present day self. He walks into C.R., looking for something. He calls out the name 'Robin' while he searches. He becomes panicked, and looks around  more hurriedly, calling out 'Robin' louder. Enter DOCTOR BROWN, S.L., hidden in the dark. DOCTOR BROWN pulls out the metal chair across from OLIVER, which makes a scraping noise. YOUNG OLIVER'S attention snaps to DOCTOR BROWN, lights out on S.R., lights up on S.L., OLIVER jumps, startled; all in rapid succession. YOUNG OLIVER exits S.R., as if he's running away from something. DOCTOR BROWN is an older man. He is has balding grey hair, thin glasses, is wearing a button up blazer, turtle neck sweater and dress pants, and is carrying a thick manila folder and a notebook with a pen.) 

DOCTOR BROWN  
Oh I'm sorry, did I wake you? I didn't expect the chair to be that loud.

(DOCTOR BROWN sits opposite OLIVER, and sets down the folder and notebook on the table. OLIVER slouches in his chair uncomfortably.)

DOCTOR BROWN  
So, my name is Doctor Brown. What's yours?

OLIVER  
Are you trying to start a conversation, or did they honestly send you in here without any information?

(DOCTOR BROWN laughs quietly and opens the folder, skimming through a few pages. OLIVER shifts in his chair.)

DOCTOR BROWN  
Oliver Brighton. Age nineteen. A laundry list of past offenses. You were sent into your first orphanage when you were twelve. You've been through five foster families.  
(OLIVER becomes increasingly anxious as DOCTOR BROWN speaks.)  
It says here that when you were kicked out of the orphanage last year, you never registered a house, whether it was owning or renting.  
(Looks up at OLIVER and adjusts glasses.)  
Just where have you been living this past year?  
(OLIVER looks away. DOCTOR BROWN leans back in his chair and exhales slowly.)  
You haven't been living on the streets, have you? No, you seem too well nourished. But perhaps you were stealing food? Your years of stealing as a child would have certainly trained you for that.  
(DOCTOR BROWN exhales again, clearly agitated.)  
Fine, I can see that you don't want to talk to me. Hmm.  
(Leans forward and writes something in his notebook.)  
Did you hear they're already panning her funeral?

OLIVER  
(Turns to look at DOCTOR BROWN.)  
What? Whose?

DOCTOR BROWN  
(Grins.)  
Robin's. Why, it's already been a few weeks. What did you expect? They're planning on burying her as soon as we're done here with you.

(OLIVER turns away from DOCTOR BROWN again. DOCTOR BROWN writes something in his notebook.)

DOCTOR BROWN  
(As writing.)  
I heard they're planning on making a deal with you. They told me that if you tell them exactly what happened, they'll let you attend the funeral. Guarded, of course.  
(Pauses writing and waits for OLIVER.)

OLIVER  
(Quiet and confused.)  
They'll let me go?

DOCTOR BROWN  
(Grins and continues writing.)  
Oh yes. Doesn't that sound nice? 

(OLIVER lays his head down on his arms.)

DOCTOR BROWN  
Won't it be nice to say good bye? You seemed fairly reluctant to leave her side when the authorities came.  
(Huffs when OLIVER doesn't respond and stops writing.)  
I heard that Robin told the nurses at the hospital that if she were to die, then she wanted Violets to be planted on top of her grave.

OLIVER  
(Quiet.)  
A violet from Mother's grave?

DOCTOR BROWN  
(Quickly writes.)  
What was that? 

OLIVER  
(Picks his head up and speaks a bit excitedly.)  
A violet from Mother's grave. Robin said it was her song because she didn't have anyone, and that when she visited her mother's grave, there were violets growing there. And the house that she lived in was technically under her name but she was too young to own it, and-  
(Stops abruptly and stares at something unseen behind DOCTOR BROWN, as if he's realized something.)

(DOCTOR BROWN scribbles quickly as OLIVER speaks.)

DOCTOR BROWN  
(Looks up and smiles, laying his pen down on the table.)  
My, that's the most anyone's gotten out of you since the investigation started, isn't it? Well, why don't we-

OLIVER  
Wait. Before we continue, will you do me a favor? 

DOCTOR BROWN  
Well, it all depends on what you want. And whether or not you plan to keep cooperating like this.

OLIVER  
(Nods slowly.)  
Could you erase the name of the song? I promise it doesn't have anything to do with what you're looking for.

DOCTOR BROWN  
(Interested.)  
If it's not important, then why do you want me to erase it?

OLIVER  
Because I wanted to hear it and looked it up one day while I was at the library. It's a terrible song. Whoever wrote it, I think, was a whack job. Way too creepy. You should erase it so that you don't remember the name and aren't tempted to look it up later.

DOCTOR BROWN  
Hmm. Well I'll tell you what, Ollie-

OLIVER  
Don't call me 'Ollie'.

DOCTOR BROWN  
(Ignoring OLIVER'S order.)  
If you continue to cooperate with me like this, I'll promise not to look up the song. How does that sound?

OLIVER  
(Sighs heavily.)  
I guess that's the best I'll get out of you. 

DOCTOR BROWN  
So, now that I've opened you up, I'm going to ask you some questions. You know, to make sure you're not like the guy who wrote that song.

(As DOCTOR BROWN takes out a paper from the folder and adjusts his glasses to read it over, lights S.L. dim and lights up on S.R. We can still see DOCTOR BROWN and OLIVER, but the attention is on S.R. Enter ROBIN. ROBIN is average height, with red hair. She's wearing a red dress that looks expensive. She appears sullen.)

DOCTOR BROWN  
What was the name of the woman you murdered?

OLIVER  
(Flinches at the word 'murdered'. Turns around in chair and looks at ROBIN.)  
Robin.

DOCTOR BROWN  
Last name? 

(ROBIN looks over towards OLIVER and smiles.)

OLIVER  
Blake.

DOCTOR BROWN  
(Nods and writes on the paper.)  
Good, good. What color was her hair before the chemotherapy?

OLIVER  
Black.

(ROBIN stops smiling and turns away from OLIVER.)

DOCTOR BROWN  
(Stops writing and looks up.)  
The records say that Robin was brunette. 

(ROBIN slowly exits S.R.)

OLIVER  
No, she had black hair and sparkling green eyes. And whenever she purred-

DOCTOR BROWN  
Purred? Ollie, we're talking about a women here, not a cat.

(Lights on S.R. dim slightly. Lights on S.R. brighten.)

OLIVER  
(Turns around and focuses on DOCTOR BROWN.)  
I told you not to call me 'Ollie.'

DOCTOR BROWN  
Are you saying that the woman you murdered was a cat?

OLIVER  
(Tenses up at the word 'murdered'. Turns around and looks towards the city.)  
N-no.  
(Pauses, confused. As he speaks, the lights on S.R. gradually brighten as the lights on S.L. dim at the same pace.)  
No, Robin was my cat. I found her in a box. She was all alone, so I picked her up and took her with me. I looked for food so she could eat, and I made a dish to catch water so she had something to drink, and-

DOCTOR BROWN  
Ollie, we're not talking about a cat. We're talking about the woman you shot.

(The moment DOCTOR BROWN interrupts OLIVER, lights S.R. cut to black and lights up fully on S.L.)

OLIVER  
(Leaps over table at DOCTOR BROWN, shouting.)  
I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME 'OLLIE'!

(DOCTOR BROWN is knocked back and tries to get away. DETECTIVE MURPHY enters S.L. and stops OLIVER before he can stand up. MURPHY picks up OLIVER, who has stopped struggling, and sits him hard in his chair.)

MURPHY  
(Still holding OLIVER.)  
Are you okay, Doc?

DOCTOR BROWN  
(Chuckles nervously and brushes himself off.)  
Yes, yes. I'm fine. It simply seems that I've struck a nerve with-  
(Catches himself.)  
With Oliver here. But I would feel much better if you stayed in the room with us for the remainder of this. 

(DOCTOR BROWN picks up his chair and sits back down, calmly reorganizing his papers. MURPHY reluctantly lets OLIVER go and stands in the corner, arms folded, eyes trained on OLIVER.)

DOCTOR BROWN  
(Clears throat.)  
I'm sorry. I'll refrain from using that name. But if we could get back to the matter at hand?

OLIVER  
(Thinks for a moment.)  
It was what she called me.

DOCTOR BROWN  
I'm sorry, what?

OLIVER.  
(Slowly, each word sounds thought out, as if he can't remember clearly.)  
Robin. She called me 'Ollie'. She said that 'Oliver' was a nerd's name, and that 'Ollie' sounded cuter.  
(Looks at DOCTOR BROWN.)  
Why are you trying to get me to talk about her? You have all the evidence against me. There's no way the jury will see me as innocent. 

DOCTOR BROWN  
No, you're right. I guess you could say, I'm helping the police tie up a few loose strings.

MURPHY  
(Laughs.)  
Don't baby him, Doc.  
(To OLIVER.)  
We want to make sure whether or not your lawyer can have you plead insane. 

OLIVER  
But I'm not insane. Someone who's insane can't tell the difference between right and wrong. I know what I did was right.

(Both MURPHY and DOCTOR BROWN look at OLIVER. DOCTOR BROWN writes something in his notebook. The lights S.L. slowly fade once more as lights up on S.R. There seems to be a balance of brightness between the two scenes.)

DOCTOR BROWN  
And what makes you say that? 

OLIVER  
(Turns and looks towards the city.)  
She was suffering.

(Enter YOUNG OLIVER, S.R. He is crying and looking at the cat he is carrying in his arms. He get's to R.C. and drops to his knees.)

OLIVER  
(Watching YOUNG OLIVER.)  
Those kids got to her. I couldn't stop them. They were mad at me, they shouldn't have-

DOCTOR BROWN  
Kids? The report says Robin was diagnosed with breast cancer. 

OLIVER  
(Looks away from YOUNG OLIVER.)  
No, she was- Yes. No, you're right. She had cancer. But then why-?

(YOUNG OLIVER holds sleeve over cat's mouth for a few moments, shaking. Then, he let's out a terrible cry. Lights cut to black over S.R. YOUNG OLIVER gets up and exits as DOCTOR BROWN is talking.)

DOCTOR BROWN  
Oliver, are you talking about your cat again?

OLIVER  
(Turns around in his chair and rests his head in his hands.)  
Yeah, that must be it. My cat. 

MURPHY  
Look kid, if you think that acting all crazy is going to help get you out of jail time-

DOCTOR BROWN  
Come now. Oliver's been showing a disconnection with reality in the form of his cat since before you came in the room. I highly doubt he's acting. 

MURPHY  
Do you know whether or not he's talking about a real cat?

(As MURPHY and DOCTOR BROWN talk, OLIVER looks back towards the city scene, although the lighting stays the same.)

DOCTOR BROWN  
(To OLIVER.)  
Oliver, do you truly believe that Robin was a cat?

OLIVER  
(Still looking towards the city.)  
Not the one we're supposed to be talking about. But I did have a cat named Robin when I was a kid. 

DOCTOR BROWN  
(Writes in his notebook.)  
And what happened to Robin the cat?

OLIVER  
I told you. She was suffering. What I did was the right thing to do. She would have just died painfully if I hadn't done anything.

DOCTOR BROWN  
(Stops writing and takes off glasses.)  
And now, are we talking about Robin the human, or Robin the cat?

OLIVER  
(Turns around to face DOCTOR BROWN.)  
What? No, I-  
(Pauses. Slouches in chair.)  
I'm done. I don't want to talk to you anymore.

(MURPHY moves towards OLIVER, but DOCTOR BROWN gently holds him back.)

DOCTOR BROWN  
(A bit annoyed.)  
Now, Oliver. I don't think you've cooperated with me enough for me to erase the title of the song.

MURPHY  
What song?

OLIVER  
Screw the song. You can look it up if you want to, I don't care anymore.

MURPHY  
(To DOCTOR BROWN.)  
What song is he talking about?!

DOCTOR BROWN  
(Hurriedly looking over his notes.)  
Nothing. It's not important. Ah! We can't stop talking now.

OLIVER  
(Hesitantly.)  
Why not?

DOCTOR BROWN  
I don't think you've cooperated enough to be able to attend Robin's funeral.

(Both OLIVER and MURPHY look at DOCTOR BROWN.)

MURPHY  
You told him about the funeral? We were saving that!

OLIVER  
(Quietly.)  
You'd take away my right to go to my own girlfriend's funeral?

DOCTOR BROWN  
(Grins.)  
Well, you are the reason she's dead, after all.

OLIVER  
(Exhales slowly.)  
Alright, fine. What else do you want? 

DOCTOR BROWN  
I want you to tell me, in your own words, how and why you killed Robin. And not your cat! Look at me, Oliver. Look at me! You're mind is to stay right here in this room. Understand?  
(When OLIVER doesn't reply.)  
Good. You may begin.  
(Readies his pen above his notebook.)

OLIVER  
(Sighs. He seems to struggle with his words a bit, thinking them through.)  
My girlfriend, Robin.  
(DOCTOR BROWNA writes in his notebook.)  
I shot her because she was suffering from cancer. She told me that she didn't want to feel the pain anymore.  
(Starts shaking.)  
There were tears in her eyes. She was so scared. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to see her suffer anymore, but I didn't want to lose her either. Please! I don't want to talk to you anymore!

MURPHY  
(Softly.)  
Look, Doc. Maybe we should-

DOCTOR BROWN  
Not now. Oliver, I just need you to tell me HOW and WHY you murdered Robin. 

OLIVER  
(Stands up, shouting.)  
I didn't murder her! 

DOCTOR BROWN  
(Stands up slowly.)  
Okay, just calm down.

OLIVER  
(Still shouting.)  
I saved her! I saved her from the agony and the pain that she had to go through day after day! 

MURPHY  
(Slowly moving towards OLIVER.)  
Take it easy, kid.

OLIVER  
(Quieter now.)  
And now I'm suffering. I'm in agony and pain. And I want it to stop!

DOCTOR BROWN  
And we can make it stop! We have doctors here who can-

OLIVER  
No. No, it's too late for that. I'm done now. I don't want to talk to you anymore. 

(OLIVER reaches inside his sleeve, and pulls out a pill which he quickly puts in his mouth and swallows. MURPHY tries to stop him, but OLIVER collapses before MURPHY can reach him.)

MURPHY  
Cyanide?!

DOCTOR BROWN  
How did he get cyanide in a prison?!

(DOCTOR BROWN and MURPHY exit S.L., calling for doctors. Lights slowly fade to black. A spotlight shines on OLIVER. Enter ROBIN, S.R., who also has a spotlight shining on her. The entire stage is dark except for the two spotlights. ROBIN walks over to where OLIVER is laying. She kneels down and gently nudges him. OLIVER looks up at ROBIN, and rises to his feet. ROBIN carefully takes off OLIVER'S handcuffs. The handcuffs fall to the floor and ROBIN and OLIVER embrace. Enter YOUNG OLIVER, S.R., also spotlighted. He is holding his cat and smiling. OLIVER steps back from ROBIN and watches YOUNG OLIVER walk across the stage and exit S.L. OLIVER moves towards where YOUNG OLIVER exited, but ROBIN holds his arm. OLIVER turns and looks at ROBIN. The moon above the city becomes bright, casting the city into blue glow. ROBIN and OLIVER hold hands and exit S.R. The moon's light still shines brightly.)

Curtain


End file.
